Posted 35 minutes ago20 Years Later, KayCee Stroh Reflects On "High School Musical," Martha, And Breaking The Status QuoAs "High School Musical" turns 20, KayCee shares favorite memories, behind-the-scenes of iconic songs, and what being a Wildcat means to her.by Andrew FirrioloBuzzFeed StaffFacebookPinterestLink It's hard to believe that twenty years ago, High School Musical inspired a generation. Disney Channel / Via Everett Collection In January 2006, we met Troy, Gabriella, and a soundtrack full of catchy, unforgettable hits that still stick in our heads today.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the beloved DCOM, I sat down with KayCee Stroh to hear about stepping into the role of Martha, her scene-stealing "Status Quo" dance, and how High School Musical changed her life forever. KayCee brought her dance students to the audition. Bobby Bank / Via WireImage KayCee: I heard about the audition from a former choreographer that I worked with growing up, and she said she thought of me. It's very rare, especially in the entertainment or dance industry, that they ask for people of all different shapes, sizes, and colors.
At the time, I was teaching dance at multiple studios throughout Utah. I was 18 or 19, fresh out of school, and I thought, "You know what, I should give it a try!" Then I thought, "I should take my students." I wanted to give them the opportunity, as well as to have a real audition experience.
It was very fun. I got to take these kids that I loved and believed in, and one of them, Andrew Winston, ended up being at the brainiac table with me. It was just a mind-blowing experience. I was one of 500 people who showed up to the audition that day. Director Kenny Ortega instantly felt a connection to KayCee. Walt Disney Co. / Via Everett Collection KayCee: After I did the dance portion of the audition, Kenny Ortega walked up to me. He stopped the music, held my hand, and said, "I love you. You're different." It was very validating for me to hear that, especially as someone raised in a very tough industry, and not exactly being the status quo.
He said to me, "Please tell me you sing." I was like, "Yeah, I do!" He then said, "Hand me your resume. You've acted, right? I think I have a role that I want you to read for."It felt like my whole life was leading up to this moment. I never knew how this was going to happen for me in little Salt Lake City, Utah. Later on, Kenny went on to tell me, "We auditioned in New York, and we auditioned in LA, and I just didn't feel like I had found my Martha. It looks like you were hiding here in Utah." "Stick to the Status Quo" was filmed in a real high school cafeteria in Salt Lake City. Disney Channel / Via Everett Collection KayCee: "Stick to the Status Quo" was a big number, and there were a lot of moving parts and pieces and people. When I watch it back, I'm always very proud of that work.
We filmed in the actual cafeteria at East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. It's a beautiful location, and we were lucky that the scouts found it. You can still visit the school for a tour. Even to this day, you will walk in and sometimes see tours going! Martha's iconic dance movies were actually improvised! Disney Channel / Via Everett Collection KayCee: One of the funny things about "Stick to the Status Quo" is that my part was not really choreographed. Kenny just trusted me on that.
When I got up on the table, I was just improvising with things I had learned throughout the years, or whatever came to me. Looking back, I feel honored that Kenny trusted me so heavily when everything else is meticulously planned. But he was like, "KayCee, you've got this, I believe in you."I'm gonna be honest, I was terrified, but I was also really, really excited. I remember the first thing I filmed was my close-up with these cameras right in my face. Kenny looked at me, and he just said, "I want you to sing it loud, and I want you to do exactly what you did in the audition. You really get Martha, and I know that this is going to shine through." I got to do a few takes from a few angles, and I just remember having chills the whole time. KayCee learned the dance for "We're All In This Together" the night before filming. Disney Channel / Via Everett Collection KayCee: A fun fact about "We're All In This Together" is that I actually learned that dance the night before. I was only scheduled to be in "Stick to the Status Quo" because I was one of the latest hires. Disney contacted production, and they said, "We loved what KayCee did with 'Stick to the Status Quo.' We feel bad that everything's already scripted and mostly shot, but we want more of her." So, they added me into "We're All In This Together." Kenny was so kind. He would move me between Zac [Efron] and Vanessa [Hudgens] at certain points to make sure I would be on camera. At the very end, during the end credits, he was like, "Go for it, KayCee!"Filming this song was our moment when we felt something was different with this movie. Kenny even